Improvement in seal and indicator locks



2. Sheetsnsheet.

Al. L. HOWARD. Seial and Indicator Lacks..-

Patented Dec. 29.1874.

L oganspnt L afayee. Biffle?. GH I CAGO SLLoUs. E .Si La uis. BurmHannibal.

RED LINE. Inspecin Saions.

swam Pk.. Cleveland.

. Ahe n s Albany. TTOYU Buffalo.

n I Sh'eets--Sheet 2. J. L. HOWARD. Seal and Indicator L ocks.

APatented Dec. 29,1874.

Ill'

llqvllllllil'fll,

Wifi-www? W1 fwn/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

JAMES L. HOI/VARD, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEAL AND INDICATOR LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,174, dated December29,1574; application tiled October 26, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Y Be it known that I, JAMES L. HOWARD, of Hartford, county of Hartfordand State ot' Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement inSeaLLocks, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof', reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is afront elevation of a seal-lock with the improvements as patented by meJune 16, 1874, and with an auxiliary and indicating lock added thereto.Fig. 2 is a side view of the key. Fig. 3 is a back View of the case andbolt, the auxiliary and indicating lock being separated therefrom. Fig.4 is a front view of the auxiliary and indicating lock, having its frontor innermost plate removed. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the said innermostplate of the auxiliary and indicating lock. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectionin the line :c w of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a front view of one of the glassseals used on the lock.

The object of my invention is to render seallocks more safe and yetconvenient, and also to make Compound seal-locks indicate when thestaple-hasp has been released from the keeper of the auxiliary lock. Therst ot these named objects I accomplish by combining a tumbler or otherlock with the bolt which secures the hasp upon the staple, in such amanner that a keeper or stop ot the tumbler-lock will stand opposite astop or projection of the hasp-bolt, and aid in its workl thespring-pin, which holds the hasp-bolt locked during the time that theindicator of the tumbler-.lock is held its case, and, when the saidindicator is thrown out of its case by the action of a key, will ceaseits connection with the hasp-bolt, and leave the said bolt free to bemoved up and down when the seal is broken, and the sprin g-lockin g pinis forced out of connection with the bolt. The second object I secure byshooting the indicator of the tumbler-lock out through the hasp-boltcase or frame, and leaving it exposed to sight, so that it shall beseen, and, when seen, serve to indicate that the lock proper is unlockedand its keeper or stop tree from the hasp-bolt.

The hasp'lock represented is similar in its general construction andoperation to my aforesaid patented seal-lock, and, therefore, need notbe particularly described here.

On the hasp-bolt AI have formed a projection or stop, B, and in theupper side ofthe seal and lock and bolt-case C a passage, D, is providedfor this projection or stop to pass through as the bolt is moved up anddown, and through the side of the bolt-case a passage, D4, for theindicator, and in the front a keyhole, D3, are formed. On the movableback plate E of the case the socket F for the spring locking-pin G andits spring is constructed, and in it the pin and spring are placed, asshown. This plate E, which in this instance is the back plate of atumbler-lock, has a key-pin, a, a sliding keeper-plate, b, tumblers c,springs d, and a guide and axial pins, e c c', arranged upon it asshown, or in any suitable manner, tor forming a lock which has a plate,b, and a and a keeper or stop, "i, operating as presently described. Thekeeper-plate b is formed with a notch, g, in its edge for the key tocatch into, and with an arm, b2, the terminus of which is increased inthickness, so as to form a hook-shaped projection or keeper, i, for thehasp-bolt, the end h of the plate b serving as an indicator to show whenthe lock is unlocked. This plate b is iitted by means of an oblong slotupon the axial pin c', and the tumblers are pivoted on Vthis pin abovethe plate. The parts ot' this lock are covered by a key-hole plate, G,the key-hole D1 ot' which coincides with the key-holes D2 Dotl thesealbolt and lock-case C, when the auxiliary lock thus constructed isinserted finto the case C, and screwed by its iianges to the back ofsaid case, as shown in Fig. 6.

To unlock the seal-lock after a seal has been properly adjusted in theseal-case, and the spring-pin and auxiliary lock have been locked, passthe key in through the key-holes Dl D2 D3, and turn it, so as to movethe keeper/L on one side of the projection B, and out of the way of thesaid projection. Now, break the seal and press back the spring-pin andslide up the hasp-bolt.

The proposed plan of using the compound lock is as follows: If a car ortrain of cars having their locks on are loaded in Washington by theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad, and going to Cincinnati, and Wheeling beingthe end of their line, and starting with the seals in, and tagsattached, and locked with the key, on arrival at Wheeling the inspectorWill punch at Wheeling1 on the tags, showing the seals to be untouched,and then inserting his key will unlock the locks, leaving the seal asthe protection beyond their line, andvso preventing the breakage of thelock if no key is had at Cincinnati. the inspector at a glance knowsthat the auxiliary look is unlocked from the exposed condition of theindicator, and he is saved the delay and inconvenience of inserting thekeys to determine Whether locked or not, Which is a matter of someimportance When we consider the rapid movements which are necessary onrailroads.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of the kecper of the0n arrival at Oincinnati auxiliary lock, the locking-pin G', and thesliding bolt A, Which slides through the seal and lock-case, and isconstructed with a sealcavity, a stop, B, and a locking-pin passage, F,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. rllhe movable part b of the auxiliary lock, having its part hconstructed to move in an opening through the outer case, and becomeexposed, and serve as an indicator, when the lock is unlocked, incombination With the keeper t' of said movable part b, which serves as akeeper for a stop on a seal-lock boltwhen the lock is locked,substantially as described.

JAMES L. HOWARD.

